Controllable skate having continuously applied brake



p 1951 s. LEVIN 3,000,643

CONTROLLABLE SKATE HAVING CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED BRAKE Filed Sept. 2, 1958 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

.1 .13. V w T =1 )6' 5 Sept. 19, 1961 s. LEVIN 3,000,643

' CONTROLLABLE SKATE HAVING CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED BRAKE Filed Sept. 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- V INVENTOR 42/ M 57 M 2/ SM Lam;

3,000,643 CONTRQLLABLE SKATE HAVING CO- OUSLY APPLE!) BRAKE Simon Levin, 123 W. 44th St., New York 36, NE. Filed Sept. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 758,266 Claims. (Cl. 280-112) The invention relates generally to skates utilizing rotary means to provide motion and more specifically to skates that may be utilized, for example, for initiating beginners in the art of skating or for training purposes, although not limited thereto. This applicationis a continuationin-part of application Serial No. 508,475 filed May 16, 1955, now Patent No. 2,865,644 issued Dec. 23, 1958.

If a novice in the art of skating is carefully observed it will be seen that the usual freedom of motion of a skate prevents a maintenance of balance as the. skate has a tendency to move more quickly than the rider. The obvious result is frequent falls, possible. injury and usually discouragement. ened and a sense of balance is developed the conventional skate remains a hazard, particularly'for the young.

It is an object of the invention to provide a skate having means constraining or restricting themotion of the rotary means to enable said skate to be used by novices in the art of skating.

- Itis an object of the invention to provide a skate whereby the art of skating may be quickly and safely assimilated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a training skate which is simple in design and economical to construct.

With the above objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in parts hereinafter described by way of example, in the following specification of certain modes of execution of the invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a skate showing a side view of a wheel and the constraining means for said wheel.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragment of a modified means for controlling said constraining means.

FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b and FIG. 20 show in detail several of the parts shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of a part shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates the invention applied to other portions of a skate showing also in section a wheel with constraining means applied thereto and the controller of said means.

FIG. 4a shows the construction of the axle of FIG- URE 4.

FIG. 4b and FIG. 40 show the means for controlling the constraining means, in section and in elevation respectively.

FIG. 5 shows how the invention may be readily applied as an attachment.

FIG. 5a shows a modification of FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the construction shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a platform 15 for attaching the skate to'the foot of the user, a frame 26 attached to the platform 15, a pair of wheels 20 (only one is shown) mounted on the frame 26 by means of axle 2'7 and a constraining flange 25 which is a part of the lever 16. For clarity flange 25 is not shown in contact with wheel 20. In FIGURE 3 may be seen another view of the lever 16 and the constraining flange 25. One end of the lever 16 is attached to the frame 26 at a point 31 in a manner which permits the lever 16 to Until the ankles are strength- Patented Sept. 19, 1961 have freedom of movement or the lever 16 may be constructed so as to be somewhat flexible and fastened firmly to the point 31. The other end of the lever 16 fits over a threaded shaft 18, said shaft 18 being fastened to the platform 15.

The lever 16 fits over the shaft 18 by means of a hole 28 which is sufficiently large in diameter to permit movement of the lever 16 along the shaft 18. Constraining the lever 16 are the spring a and the spring 30-. The spring 30 is utilized between the lever 16 and the platform 15 and the spring 30a is utilized between the lever 16 and a plate 17. Either or both of springs 30 or 30a respectively may be engaged with the lever 16 by cementing, welding, brazing or the like at the point at which said springs 30 and Ella are in contact with the lever 16. The plate 17 rides upon an internally threaded nut 19 which may be raised or lowered on the thread 29 on the shaft 18.

Referring to FIGURE 2 there is shown an enlarged portion of FIGURE 1 wherein the spring 30w is eliminated and the lever 16 is modified to have a flexible area 16a adapted in a manner so that the constraining plate 25 may shift its position and easily recover thereby accommodating to the wheels 20.

Referring to FIGURE 24:, the plate 17 is shown to have a hole 24 which has a flat on one side and is without threads and by which means the plate 17 fits over the shaft 18 to move along the shaft 18 but not to turn thereon. FIGURE 2b shows an end view of the nut 19 and FIGURE 2c shows a flat side 23 on the shaft 18 whose diameter is such as to permit the flat sided hole 24 in plate 17 to readily fit over the shaft 18 and engage the flat side 23 as described above. Referring again to FIGURE 2, the nut 19 has on the periphery thereof a graduated scale 22. The plate 17 has on its periphery a marker 21 and since the plate 17 does not rotate relative to the shaft 18, the marker 21 serves as a point of reference. When the nut 19 is turned so as to move toward the plate 17 pressure is applied to the lever 16 by the plate 17 and the spring 30 thus causing the flange 25 to engage the wheels 24 Although the invention may be praetised without the spring 30a and the spring 36 it has been found that one spring alone or both will prevent siezing of the flange 25 to the wheels 20. The modified area 16A of the lever 16 may serve in a like manner.

The popular inexpensive type of skate, for which the invention is generally intended, is somewhat crude in construction so that uniformity of manufacturing tolerances cannot be relied upon. Either of the foregoing springs 30 and 30a, or the modified area 16A of the lever 16, permits the flange 25 to adjust readily to any eccentricity of the wheels 21 and maintain substantially uniform braking. In lieu of springs 30 and 30a, cylinders of rubber, flexible plastics or like materials may be utilized in accordance with the invention. 7

The lever 16 may be readily adapted to be spring-like and suitably self-adjustable as shown in FIG. 2 so as to serve in lieu of either spring 31) or spring 3641 or both, thereby permitting the flange 25 to accommodate to the wheels 20.

The lever 16, utilized in this manner, is engaged by the plate 17 and controlled by the nut 19 as described hereinbefore.

In accordance with the invention, the constraining means may be applied to any one or more of the wheels of a skate as has been shown in FIGURE 1 and as will be described hereininafter in FIGURE 4, or in a combination of thle' arrangements of FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 4 or thejlike Referring now to FIGURE 4 there is shown in -section a wheel 40, ball bearings 42 and a shaft 41 having a flared raceway 43 in which the ball bearings 42. support the wheel 40 in conjunction with the fixed raceway 44. The shaft 41 passes through the fixed raceway 44 which is part of the frame 39.

' In FIGURE 4a and FIGURE 4b it can be seen that the shaft 41 has, on its end which is opposite the flared raceway 43, a slot 50 and an external thread 54. The slot 50 is engaged by a tongue part 49 of the shaft 53 which has an external thread 48 opposite in direction compared with the thread 54. The shaft 53 passes through another fixed raceway 44- (partly shown) which is part of the frame 39. The shaft 53 has on its end opposite the tongue 49 another flared raceway as (not shown) which with ball bearings 42 has mounted thereon another wheel 40. The shaft 53 and the shaft 41 are able to move in and out of the fixed raceways 44 and may or may not turn freely.

An adjusting nut 45 engages the shaft 41 and the shaft 53 by internal threads which mate with the thread 54 and the thread 48. The nut 4s serves to lock the adjusting nut 45 by being screwed tightly against it. When the adjusting nut 45 is turned the tongue 49 slides in the slot t} permitting an increase or decrease in the separation of the shaft 41 and the shaft 53 at the same time preventing rotation with respect to each other. The collar 47 is fastened to the shaft 41 and has engraved thereon a mark 52 which serves as a reference point. On the adjusting nut 45 is engraved a scale 51 which may he graduated in inches or centimeters and fractions thereof or the like.

With the nut 46 loosened, the adjusting nut 45 is rotated so that it pulls the shaft 41 and the shaft 53 together or separates them depending on the rotation. By bringing the said shafts 41 and 53 together, pressure is applied through the ball bearings 42 to the wheels 4th. The rotation of the wheels 4% is thus prevented to a degree which may be predetermined by setting the adjusting nut 45 in accordance with the graduated scale 51.

In FIGURE 5 it is shown how the invention may be practiced with a skate that is constructed in a manner well known to the art and wherein it is seen how readily the invention may be utilized as a part of the skate or as an attachment to be applied thereto when preferred.

Referring to FIGURE 5 and to FIGURE 6, there is indicated the platform 15, the plate 17, the shaft 18, the graduated nut 19, the wheel 20, the axle 27 and the spring 30 all of which have been described. above with respect to FIGURES l, 2, 2a, 2b and 2c. The housing 57 is supported on the frame 55; by means of an elastic block 59 and the shaft 18, said shaft 18 being attached to the frame 58 in any well known manner as for example by swaging, threading, or the like at the area 68. The constraining plate 55 has aflixed thereto the pins which engage the housing 57 so as to maintain the plate 55 in alignment with the wheels 21 The constraining plate 55 engages the wheels 21) and is controllable by means of the graduated nut 19 as described with respect to FIGURE 1 and FIGURE 2 of the foregoing. Another spring Sila (not shown) may be mounted on the shaft 18 between the plate 55 and the frame 53 in a like manner as shown for the spring 39a in FIGURE 1. Said springs may be engaged to and made a part of the segment 65 of the plate 55 by, for example, welding, brazing, soldering or the like. This spring 349a enables the plate 55 to be delicately adjusted when the rider becomes proficient and only a slight amount of braking is needed and by providing pressure to keep the plate 55 stable when it is backed away from the wheels 26.

In accordance with the invention, the plate 55 may also be adapted to include means like the spring 3% as part of its construction. The segment 65 of the plate 55 which is engaged by the spring 39, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, may be adapted in any well known manner to be 1 suitably spring-like and self-adjustable so as to serve in lieu of the spring 36. The segment 65 of the plate 55 may also be constructed to have an extended portion a folded back over itself and mounted on the shaft 18 without spring 30 as shown in FIGURE 5a. The segment 65a is preferably adapted to be flexible so that it will permit the constraining plate 55 to shift its position and then recover thereby easily accommodating to the wheels 20. This manner of construction is important in the practice of the invention since only a slight eccentricity of the wheels 20 will throw the rider unless the constraining plate 55 can immediately equalize the braking pressure. The plate 17 would then engage said self-adjustable segment 65 or 65a whichever is utilized, the degree of constraint of the plate 55 being controlled by the nut 19 as previously described, the self-adjustable segment thereby permitting the plate 55 to accommodate to the wheels 20.

In well known commercial skates a long grommet or grommet-like structure (not shown) is used to secure thehousing 57 to the frame 58. In the practice of the invention with such a skate, the shaft 18 is merely inserted through the grommet hole and the other elements mounted thereon as previously described.

Referring to FIGURE 7 there is shown a modification of FEGURE 4 in which the principle of the invention is further set forth. The wheels 44], the ball bearings 42, the fixed raceways 44, the axle support 57 and the upper support 58 attached to footplate 15 have been previously described. The axle support 57 is joined to the support 58 by means of a shaft 63. The axle 61 has a thread 29 on one end, and a flared portion 54 serving as a raceway on its opposite end, the threaded end having a fiat portion 23 as shown in FIGURE 20. The nut 19, the scale 22, and the collar 17 have been shown in FIG- URE 2b, FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 2a respectively as has the spring 30 in FIGURE 5. The spring 30 is applied to a raceway 62, said raceway 62 being able to ride freely on the shaft 61. When the spring 30 is compressed by turning the nut 19 the raceway 62 presses against the ball bearings 4,2 in contact with it. At the same time the raceway G l is drawn toward the raceway 62 thus applying a force through the ball bearings 4-2 to the wheels 4% thereby inhibiting the motion of the wheels 40.

The user may attach the skate to the foot in any well known manner. At first enough pressure is applied to rather heavily restrict the motion of the wheels and skating is practiced. The skater will find that it is very easy to stand up and balance is quickly learned. As training progresses the pressure is gradually released in definite steps in accordance with the scale 51, or the scale 22 whichever is used, the actual quantities being dependent on such factors as the age, previous skill, weight, and the like, of user who quickly becomes an ac complished performer.

A more proficient skater, using a skate constructed with a rear assembly in accordance with FIGURE 1 and a front assembly in accordance with FIGURE 4 will find that two different adjustments of the movement of the skate are possible. By this means trick maneuvers may be performed by the manipulation of the riders weight toward one set of the wheels or toward the other set.

It can also be seen that the young will find great safety in the invention in addition to the pleasures thereof.

It is to be understood that various equivalents of the embodiment disclosed may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a roller skate, the combination which comprises a support connected with a footplate, rotary means attached to said support for providing motion to said skate, a constraining means engaging said rotary means at all times, a shaft like means attached to said footplate, said constraining means having a first portion flexibly at tached to said support and a second portion comprising a self-adjustable force transmitting means adapted to move freely on said shaft like. means whereby said selfadjustable force transmitting means enables said constraining means to accommodate to said rotary means; and means for applying a controllable force positioned on said shaft like means in engagement with said selfadjustable force transmitting means.

2. In a roller skate, the combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are included for gauging the force of said means for applying said controllable force.

3. In a roller skate the combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein there is included an additional selfadjustable force transmitting means positioned on said shaft like means in engagement with said footplate and said second portion of said constraining means.

4. In a roller skate, the combination which comprises a support connected with a footplate, rotary means attached to said support for providing motion to said skate, said support comprising a first portion attached to said footplate, a second portion serving as an axle frame having mounted thereon by means of an axle said rotary means, means for joining said first portion and said second portion of said support, said joining means including 6 l means for positioning a constraining means in continuous engagement with said rotary means, said constraining means having a portion thereof comprising a self-adjustable force transmitting means adapted to move freely with respect to said positioning means whereby said selfadjustable force transmitting means enables said constraining means to accommodate to said rotary means and means mounted on said positioning means for applying a controllable force to said self-adjustable force transmitting means.

5. In a roller skate, the combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein means are included for gauging the force of said means for applying said controllable force.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,027,487 Means Jan. 14, 1936 2,140,955 Goettie Dec. 20, 1938 2,725,238 Day Nov. 29, 1955 2,865,644 Levin Dec. 23, 1958 

